A Seperate Life
by T229311
Summary: This is what happens when Slade finds Raven, before the other Titans. As most of you will quickly figure out, some aspects came from the show, some features from the comic books and some from my brain. I DO NOT own Teen Titans. T Violence&Little Language
1. Chapter 1: A New Beginning

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Raven walked through the streets of this new city where she had landed when she escaped from her father's control. It was dark and cold as the rain poured steadily on top of her head. Really she had no idea what she should be doing, the world had changed so much since she had last been here. However in her last incarnations she had been older, and people knew her for what and who she was. She was used to people staying away from her. This time she had run away when she turned ten, still just a child.

She'd been here for almost three months and had yet to meet anyone or find a place to stay. Of course she knew it didn't help that she only moved around at night. She remembered her past and had no desir to see the hatred and revulsion on anyones face as she had before. Only her father had looked at her without cringing. Even his subjects had stayed away out of fear. Still though she preferred to move at night and avoid most contact she could still see the world had change. Now there were strange structures she knew were called skyscrapers and it seemed as if they truly did touch the sky. Modern man had no idea how good they had it. Still she could look around and see the filth and corruption that was destroying the city.

Tonight however, everything was about to change. Hungry she moved silently through the streets her cloak billowing behind her as she darted from shadow to shadow. She knew she should be able to do whatever she wanted just by thinking it but she had run away before her father could teach her to fully master her powers. She was still wary of falling under his control.

Finally she found what she was looking for. In the more seedy, run down part of the city she found a small convenient store, and true to it's name there was conveniently a back door down a damp alleyway that was like all others in this part of town, littered with trash and the only people she saw at night. Naturally the store was closed and the back door chained shut. Finding a crow bar she broke the chain and pried the door open. Moving swiftly and silently she checked the shelves grabbing whatever she could. She hadn't eaten in just over 24 hours and she was starving. Before she left she went to the back and grabbed several things of water.

Grabbing bags from behind the counter she loaded as many things as she could and disappeared out the back as silently as she had come. Back in the alley she left quickly and found a quiet spot to eat some of what she had stolen. Almost an hour later she was again on the move. She knew the sun would come up soon and she had no desire to find herself caught up in it. She retreated to the place where she usually sleaped, a condemned apartment building she knew was slated for demolition.

She had no idea that there was a shadow moving across the roof tops, silently watching her every move, curious about the young girl he had found so long ago. He had been watching for almost a month, observing her every move and though she didn't know it, protecting her during the day, from those fools who might locate her. She also had no way of knowing that her guardian was little more than a kid himself, only 18 years of age, and like her forever alone, and living behind the scenes forever in darkness. She didn't know he would come to be part of her life, or that he would become her guardian, protector, and teacher.

The time, he knew was almost right. There was something different about this girl, though he wasn't sure what. All he knew was that she would be perfect for his plans, and that she reminded him of his recently lost son, who he had no intention of finding again, though he did indeed miss the boy. Yeas he had no doubt she would fit his plans. All he had to do was win her trust, and make her admire him. She would make a fine apprentice when the time was right. He'd give it another week, and then reveal himself to her.

One day it would be his time, and she would be standing by his side, rising to power along with him. She would serve him and one day take over, he could feel it deep inside. Though he knew not how things would transpire, he knew one thing for sure. Though it would take many years, and they would have to fight many battles, she would help him achieve his goals. He knew that she would help him bring Jump City to it's knees and that one day the inhabitants of the city would whisper his name in fear, and hers in awe. One day the city would fall and all would bow down before him, and forever whisper his name as they would that of a god.

As he continued to watch her he noted with satisfaction that she made it back to her temporary home. Silently he slipped in through a door on the roof and settled in for another watchful day, where he knew she would need his silent protection for the time being. After all, he couldn't allow any harm to befall his future apprentice. Yes he knew that it would happen some, day, in his glorious future.

One day all would kneel and know the name of Slade.


	2. Chapter 2: Raven's Rescue

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It had been six days since Raven had stolen from the store and she had run out of food quickly and had to steal again. Only three days ago she had gotten the strange sensation of eyes on her. It was the same sensation she had often gotten before she escaped from her last home, whenever her father had seen fit to seek her out. Despite her destiny and her heritage, and powers, she was still young and inexperienced. Against her will she found herself getting nervous and wondering what the undeniable presence wanted.

Again she made her way back to her shelter walking down another dark alley when she saw a shadow moving quickly toward her almost as silent as she was herself. She supposed an ordinary human wouldn't have spotted it, but with her heightened senses she spotted it with little trouble. Still evading it and protecting herself was more of a problem. Quickening her pace she ducked down another alley and broke into a run.

Still she was just a child and whoever was after her, was much older and quicker able to take longer strides and was gaining ground quickly. Still after months of living alone she knew these streets like the back of her hand and knew shehad just enough time to make it into another building, this one and old warehouse. Slipping through a broken window that was concealed by a rusted shutter she ducked down and heard footsteps pass. Exhaling she had the feeling she was safe, for now, but was hesitant to go back outside.

Moving along the shelves that had yet to be removed she thought she heard someone else in the building and stayed low, ducking down another row, and slipping through a door in the back. She was suddenly very eager ot get out and knew once she passed through two more sets of doors she would be outside. She had silently passed through one set approaching the last as she reached out a hand, to pull it open.

But before she could do so, it was kicked open and slammed into her knocking her back into a wall. She quickly recovered and rolled to the side behind a stack of boxes hoping to stay out of sight. Without warning a flashlight clicked on, and she knew her chances of hiding successfully had just been reduced. However it alos gave her an idea of where the person might be. Suddenly the light stopped moving as the person must have stood still only feet away on the other side.

Then without warning strong hands grabbed her from behind and slammed her against the crates. It was then she realized whoever it was had set the flashlight down in an attempt to trick her and she had foolishly fallen for it. She recovered her wits long enough to look into a face that was every bit as filthy as her own, and caught breath that smelled sour an made her wince. The pain on her arms was biting, and she heard a voice in her ear though the speech was slurred and she was unable to make out any words.

Suddenly she heard a crash, and the hands released her and she slumped to the floor as feeling quickly returned to her arms. Wasting no time she scampered away and ran back through the warehouse to the point where she had come in. Unfortunately the window was too high for her to climb back out and she was again stuck with an unknown presence. It was then she remembered the sound she had heard and she realized the other man had come through the back door. So obviously whoever her savior was had been in the building since she too had entered.

Again she heard footsteps but this time they were quicker and precise, unlike those of the man who had grabbed her. "I know you're here. You may as well come out. If I was going to hurt you I would have left you alone, to fend for yourself."

That confirmed it, these words she understood meaning they were coming from someone else entirely. Still it was strange that the man had at least a general idea of where she was hiding. No mere human should be able to sense her. There was something different about this man, she could sense it and feel it as she tried to probe his mind. It was more complex than the few others she had encountered. Suddenly she was more afraind of this man than she was of the other. Still he was right. If he had wanted her injured he would have left her alone.

Climbing on top of a shelf she moved around trying to make her voice harder to track. "Who are you, and what do you want?" She was annoyed that her voice was slightly trembling.

She heard a low chuckle and was surprised to find it only ten feet away though he was still unable to pin point her location. "That should be obvious. I want you, little girl. It was I who watched over you, and I know you know it. There's really no point in running. I've found you once and I'll do it again."

Raven stopped, surprised at his words, since they were the last thing she expected. She had half expected him to say he was going to destroy her himself. No one had ever really wanted her, just to be rid of her. Except her father of course, but that was another matter entirely. Stopping however seemed to be a tactical error, since he was finally able to locate her. Without warning he was suddenly in front of her, moving faster than anyone should have been able to. Okay there was definitely something different about him.

Then he easily jumped onto the shelf where she was, which surprised her more since it was a good ten feet up and he had done it from a standing position. "It's been almost two and a half months, hasn't it girl? Living day to day, alone in the world with no place to call your own. Turning his back he jumped down and against her will she was compelled to do the same. Still when he turned around and took several steps toward her she took just as many back, and it was then she noticed he was wearing some kind of mask. "You're all alone, little one, isolated from others, different from those around you. Though I must admit, the differences elude me, it's quite obvious your unlike those others in this world. In case oyu didn't notice we have that in common." He paused for a moment before continueing. "Come with me, and I can help you learn how to control yourself. I can teach you what you need to know."

Again he turned and headed away from her. "If you're interested, if you're tired of being alone, come with me, and become what you desire." Again she wanted to follow, against her will. There was something strangely compelling about him, and irresistible about his voice. It was almost as if, he was inside her head. Still she wasn't quite sure and watched him until he was out of site.

After he was gone, she went to the back and saw the man who had attacked her on the floor bleeding from his head. Not only that but his head was at a strange angle. If she had to guess she'd say his neck had been broken with bare hands. It was quite obvious the man was dead, and she felt a strange rush of affection for her masked savior. This guy would never come after her again, and she made up her mind to take him at his word.

Tomorrow night she decided she would take him on his word, and see if he told the truth.


	3. Chapter 3: Slade's Seduction

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Again, it was dark out and Raven wandered through the streets wondering how she would find the man form last night. Though she had no idea where he may be, she remembered his words. _"I've found you once, and I'll do it again."_ She had little doubt he could fulfill his words. With no better idea she returned to her area of town and began to wander. Though she could no longer feel his eyes on her, she knew he had to be near. After a while she grew tired and hungry, and went in search of food.

After her little string of break-ins, some store owners had decided to stay in their stores. Even in this part of town, people seemed to feel threatened. Having no better idea she made her way to some of the apartments that were still in use, and climbed a fire escape to the fourth floor. This part wasn't so bad and she knew these type of people would be the ones to sleep at night instead of doing shady deals and sleeping during the day.

Slipping in through a window that had been left unlocked she was pleasantly surprised to find she was standing in the kitchen. Taking a quick walk around she saw all the doors were shut and the lights were off. Actually much to her relief it seemed like nobody was home. Going toward what she assumed was the pantry she pulled over a chair to reach the top shelf, and pulled down some kind of food that she had grown quite fond of. Food here on Earth was different form what she had eaten at home, and it had changed over the centuries.

Opening the box she began to eat what the people of this world seemed to call crackers. A classic snack that had been around in past centuries when she had visited this planet. Thew were different however, better tasting that didn't taste bland and boring. After that she went to the refriderator and took out something labeled Coke, which was another improvement of the modern world. Drinking and eating her fill, she again had another look around and sat down on the couch and slowly began to fall asleep.

Suddenly that persuasive and seductive voice broke through her thoughts just as her eyes closed. "Hmm, now this was one of your bigger mistakes. True you did a good job finding something to eat, but what if these people had come home."

Ravens eyes shot open to see the masked man staring at her. "I checked and no one is here." She had no idea why she was talking to him, but like before she couldn't seem to help herself.

"I noticed but perhaps their just out at a party or something, or maybe they'll be back in the morning. The moment they saw you they would call the police and accuse you of breaking and entering and robbery, which I must say they would rightfully find you guilty of." Cocking his head he looked at her before continueing. "You were looking for me earlier, I know. Are you ready to come with me? I suggest you decide before these wonderful people come home. I think I hear them now."

Raven had no idea what he was talking about until she heard someone coming up the stairs. Bolting to her feet she took the hand he was holding outstretched and let him lead her to the kitchen window. He opened it swiftly and climbed out again holding out his hand to her. Almost on cue the door opened and the people walked in. Again she took his hand and he pulled her through. Leading her back down the fire escape she realized she had left the things out as she vaguely heard the people gasp through the window they hadn't bothered to shut.

_Oh well, _she thought to herself, _It was only a few things, I'm sure they can replace them._ Once on the ground the man motioned for her to follow and he led her through a series of alleys that he seemed to know even better than she did.

Fifteen minutes later they approached what she assumed to be an abandoned building, but he flipped open a pad near the bottom of the door that she hadn't noticed since it was so low. After he pressed his hand to it, another slot popped opened that scanned his eyes through the mask. Suddenly the door shot open without him touching any knob or pulling any lever. _That's new, but nice._ She thought in surprise. She never would have expected this.

Leading her inside he had only taken a few steps when lights turned on all around her. Again he hadn't touched a thing. Light was something she wasn't used to and she had to shield her eyes. The man however didn't even flinch. Looking around she saw several machines she knew were called computers though she had never actually seen ones like these. The only ones she had seen were ones that were in display windows or advertisements that she would see at night.

Pressing a series of buttons numerous scrrens lit up and videos appeared on all. She was surprised that she could see several parts of the city, most centering around this area which was only a few blocks from the place where she had been. No wonder he had always been able to find her.

"Come with me." He led her to another room where she saw a staircase leading up. "There are rooms up there, pick one, and sleep. I shall see you tomorrow night. I'm sure you won't wake until then."

Raven really was tired and though she had no idea what was going on she decided to losten to what he said. She would ask him about what was going on tomorrow. After all though she accepted his offer she still didn't trust him completely.

She chose the second room she came to and was surprised to see that it was actually adorned, since it seemed no one lived there but himself. She was also surprised at the size though she shouldn't be, judging by the things she had seen so far. The guy obviously had a lot of money, and if he could do even half of what he said, she might enjoy being with him. Without bothering to think anymore she simply dropped onto the bed and within minutes was asleep.

Downstairs Slade thought about what he had done. Despite the feeling in his stomach that he had done the correct thing, that would one day allow him to conquer those around him, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was taking a rather large risk. Before he fulfilled his word he wanted to learn about her, what she was, and some of her history. Had he been a normal human he wouldn't dare have taken such a risk.

Still, he wasn't normal. After the army had foolishly used him as a gunie pig to test their theories and enhance his every ability, hoping to make him a super soldier her had temporarily lost his mind and murdered his commander. Quickly though he had mastered himself and disappeared without a trace. Now he was determined to take his revenge on those who had messed with his life. And with his mass fortune that was ever growing, and the apprentice he planned on molding to his purposes, he would achieve that end, and nothing was going to stand in his way.

Several hours later he went upstairs to see what room she was in. After making sure she was fine for the moment he went downstairs again to his own bedroom, and retired until the next night.


	4. Chapter 4: Training Begins

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_One month later…_

Raven stood in Slade's training area, and tried to focus her mind. As promised he was helping her grow to understand and control her power. True at first both had been wary of each other but they quickly came to understand each other and once he had begun to fulfill his bargain she had grown to trust him. His story slowly came out and there were still several things she didn't know about him, but the same was true for her.

She knew he was watching her, he often observed her while she trained. She had actually been surprised to find out he was so young. She had expected him to be older with all his knowledge and wealth. Still it didn't change anything. She had always been loyal to those who deserved it and in her opinion he deserved her loyalty more than any other person on this world.

Focusing her mind she sat still and levitated several feet off the ground and lifted the four chairs around her simultaneously and made them rotate around her. Focusing even harder she made them pick up speed and when she began to lose focus she began to say the words had taught her. It had been he who advised she create a mantra to help her focus, and it had been he who created it.

Taking a breath she began to say them slowly. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos." She said the words softly and repeated them several times until she felt herself calm down and begins to regain full control. She could sense Slade's pleasure as he saw her progress and it made her feel a sense of satisfaction that she was able to fulfill his expectations.

After several minutes she opened her eyes and slowed her breathing as she slowly released the chairs and set them down softly and then brought herself to the ground. After looking over at him he nodded his approval and she headed off to her room to read the books she had begun to collect.

Before she reached the stairs she heard him call out to her retreating form. "I suggest you eat something whenever you feel the need. It does no good to grow weary." She paused for a moment and waited until she was sure he was done before entering her room. The two of them still went to bed when the sun came up and rose when it went down so she turned on her light which was considerably lower than the rest of the place. She had yet to get used to bright light.

Below Slade sat in front of the computer screens and watched the city around him. He was pleased with the progress Raven was making and thought about what he had learned. He hadn't been surprised to find she wasn't completely human, but hadn't expected to find she was part demon. He was even happier to learn she was so young, meaning she would grow more attached to him and be more susceptible to his ideas. Still he had no intention of tricking her that would just lead to her losing faith in him and a possible betrayal, something he didn't feel like risking.

She was powerful no doubt about that and so far had expressed no desire to cease training. It seemed as long as he stayed true to his word, she would trust him, which was exactly what he needed. He had briefly debated injecting her with the same thing he had been injected with, but with her being part demon she hardly needed it. Already her senses were greater than that of an average human and her powers more than made up for any lacking she may have had. In fact he had little doubt she would grow stronger than him, within the next few years.

Still despite how powerful she became as long as he played his cards right she would never betray him. She was a quick learner and would soon master her powers completely. After she had done that he would continue her education in other areas.

She would learn about all the long term plans he was making and all about the games he was playing with the city's infrastructure itself that would slowly weaken it until he was ready. After that she would begin truly working for him, and one day when she was old enough would become his eyes and ears as he would eventually have to stay hidden while she could move around under a different name.

He would teach her how to blend in, and avoid detection. In the end she would become an extension of him carrying out his will and doing his bidding. And she would learn to love it, he was sure of that. She already had the resentment of the world that had taken him almost 18 years to learn. It would serve her well, and maintain her loyalty. Yes things should work out fine, so long as nothing stupid got in the way.


	5. Chapter 5: Five Years Later

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_Five years later…_

Slade had watched with satisfaction as his apprentice grew in power, and understanding. She had just turned fifteen and he knew there was nothing more he could teach her. Now all she could do to learn was read her books. He was rather lucky that he had so much money. Some of those books were damn near impossible to find. But if it would increase her abilities and help her reach her full potential he was willing to do it.

Now it was time for her to learn new things. Things that would help her rise one day and enable her to become his successor. She never had learned to rise during the day, and not wanting to anger her or interfere with her training he had let it be. It might make her next lessons a bit harder to accomplish but where there's a will there's a way. She came down the stairs and saw him sitting at his desk surrounded by computer screens and having a video conference. Since no one was supposed to know about her, she stayed well out of sight, but she knew he was aware of her. He always knew what she was doing. She only had a brief wait until that particular screen went blank and he turned to her.

She still felt a surprise when she saw this particular mask, that was made of special adhesives to appear like a regular face. Now he looked like a man of approximately 30 instead of his actual 23 years. True he rarely ventured put during the day, but it was necessary if his plans were to succeed. She was used to seeing his gold and black mask that bore no resemblance to any real face so these always gave her a surprise. She could tell something was going on so she moved around the monitors to stand before him.

"We're going out tonight Raven. It's time to expand your education. You see while you've been mastering your powers I've been setting into plan a large range of plans that will allow us to seize control of this city and rule over the inhabitants." Raven nodded in acceptance. Years ago he had revealed his plans, and with her never ending hatred of mankind she had accepted without hesitation. They deserved what they got, after the way they had treated her in centuries past. She had thought perhaps they had learned something since but she had learned how wrong she was when she was only ten years old, that night Slade had rescued her.

In centuries he was the only one except her father that she had felt any connection to. That had accepted her for what she was, and never judged her. No she had no sympathy for mankind and what they got. She and Slade would rule with an iron fist crushing any opposition in their path. He had made her, what she was and she had no regrets.

Besides Raven knew she was stronger than Slade, and if he ever betrayed her, she would return the favor, ten times over. He was a visionary, and still had much to teach her. One day she knew she would take his place, and she wanted to make him proud. Silently accepting of his words she asked a simple question. "What should I do, Slade?"

"You're going to meet those in government who are in my debt. In order to take my place and fulfill my legacy you must learn what I have done. As you know I have to wear this mask. After all who would dare meet with a man who conceals his face?" He gave a low laugh before continuing. "The fools in this city don't even know that this is a false face. Return to your room and change. You can't meet the major players looking like that. They must believe you are one of them. Also we must make you look older."

Raven gave a brief smile. "I can take care of that."

He returned a grim smile, "Yes I believe you will, Raven."

Returning to her room, Raven quickly changed into an outfit she had never bothered to wear, having no reason before now. She had never really bothered to wear something other than a loose fitting outfit and a cloak, since it was easiest to train in. Still she knew one day she would need to change, when she took over for Slade. Both when she began doing things for him and meeting with representatives during the day. In fact she was somewhat touched he had set it up at night so as not to make her go in the day, knowing how much she hated it. Still in five years she had no desire to leave the building.

After she changed clothes she briefly worked on her appearance, before going back down the stairs. She now looked like a young woman of approximately 20 years old and looked almost like a secretary. Seeing his mask again she suppressed a shiver. She had only seen his real face a handful of times and it was something she would never forget. Expecting to see something horribly disfigured she had been surprised to find it strangely attractive. She had honestly felt weird since despite its perfect features she wasn't used to seeing anything other than an expressionless mask. Seeing him without it seemed to take away some of the mystery and made him seem vulnerable. Still she wasn't stupid and knew he was anything but.

Nodding his approval at her new appearance he led her out into the night. Moving two streets over he opened a door into what appeared to be nothing more than a rundown garage, but which she knew, like the house, was anything but. Stepping inside he unlocked the car that he rarely used. A Porsche 911 she knew he could afford much better but it might arouse suspicion. Better to keep a low profile. When she took over she would get her own car, and he still needed to teach her how to drive.

After driving for maybe 15 minutes they arrived at a large building that was completely white. Looking at the clock she saw it was only 9:00 which explained how he had been able to get a meeting. It was obviously that time of year when it got dark earlier. Parking out front, they both got out and ascended the steps that would take them through the front door.

Without stopping he headed right past the front desk to the back of the lobby and swiped a card that opened an elevator door which she noticed had no outside buttons. Punching in a code the number 20 appeared on the screen and he swiped the card again. The number changed and the word acknowledged appeared and the elevator began to move.

"_Here we go" _she thought. This was something new but she had yet to disappoint him and didn't plan on it now. _"Please don't let me screw this up" Then_ silently reciting her mantra she took a deep breath and tried to enjoy the long ride.


	6. Chapter 6: Learning The Trade

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When the screen flashed the number 17 Slade glanced at her. "Nice hair by the way, good thinking." Raven had colored it blond for the occasion, since its regular violet was not something people would forget. "Oh by the way I almost forgot." He pulled something out of his coat pocket. "Carry this with you whenever you leave for something like this, or venture into the daylight."

Raven noticed it was a black wallet that looked different from his. Opening it she saw an ID that had her picture, in it, but was edited to make her look older, and listed the age as 21. The name Rachel A. Roth was in the middle, with a signature in the bottom right.

"You'll need to memorize that signature so you can forge it if you ever need to. I suggest you memorize the information as well." Slade said to her. "And we got lucky with the hair color, you actually did it the right color and you didn't even know it." The elevator door opened and they stepped out. Leaning down he whispered one last thing. "And to you I'm Mr. Strahm. As far as they know my name is Derek Strahm."

Raven couldn't help but note the initials. _D.S., like one of his aliases, Deathstroke_. "So, what's wrong with Slade Wilson?" she asked him, also whispering.

"Only those I do other business with, know that name. Just as only the police know the name Deathstroke."

Raven cracked a smile at the explanation before answering him. "Yes sir, Mr. Strahm."

Slade wanted to laugh at it coming from her mouth. It just sounded so ridiculous when she said it, after so many years calling him Slade. But no, that wouldn't be proper. This was business and he couldn't let his guard down. "Perfect. Just do that whenever you need to address me."

Moving toward the vacant desk in front of them he pressed a button and a small light flashed red. Ten seconds later a man came out of an office, who looked about 45 and over worked. He looked annoyed at the interruption, but his face changed the minute he saw Slade, and what she pegged as a forced smile plastered on his face.

"Ah, Mr. Strahm, just on time as usual, I see." It was then he noticed Raven standing at his side. "And who might this young lady be? I must say, it's about time you settled down."

"_Suck up." _She thought, "_This guy is a complete moron."_

Slade didn't return the smile. "Not quite. Darius, meet my assistant, Rachel Roth, Rachel this is, Mr. Kahn."

The man named Kahn seemed to pale but recovered quickly. "Oh apologies, nice to meet you Ms. Roth. Now, um, what can I do for the two of you?"

"_Jesus, this guys, terrified of Slade." _Raven thought. But then again she supposed he should be, even if he didn't know who he really was.

Her mentor still didn't smile. "We have business to attend to. As I recall you owe me a favor. Besides I wanted my assistant to meet my associates."

"Of course, Mr. Strahm, how could I forget?" The man stammered, he was obviously still nervous.

"Good, now shall we step into your office?" Without waiting he walked right past the man and strolled into the small office as if he owned it. Without waiting for anyone to talk Slade started things off. "I believe we have a bit of trouble on the South Side of the city. Would you like to tell me about it?"

It was obvious to Raven that it wasn't really a question and it must have also been clear to the man behind the desk, who was still nervous. She listened for the next hour as the two exchanged questions and answers. Or rather, it was more like Slade questioned and Kahn, answered, whether he wanted to or not.

Finally the two finished their "business" and Slade led Raven back to the elevator where Kahn again tried to smile. "Well have a safe trip back home, and I hope to see you again. You too, Ms. Roth." Slade still didn't comment as the elevator doors closed blocking him from sight. Again he swiped his card and they descended to the lobby.

Finally Raven broke the silence. "He's terrified of you." She observed.

"Yes, I know and he's right to be. A lot could happen to him, if he were to get me angry. You see you should never go into business with someone without learning their dirty little secrets. It gives you leverage. Well that, the right connections, and of course money. With those three things, you can learn all you need to know to get ahead." They descended several more floors before he continued. "One day you will take over, and the information gathered will allow us to accomplish our goal Raven."

"What if he turns on you or suddenly gets brave?"

"He wouldn't dare. He has too much to lose. His job, his money, and depending on what I reveal, his life. You see it doesn't matter if your minions like you, they don't even need to tolerate you, so long as they fear you."

Raven wanted to snort. "But I don't fear you at all."

Slade laughed and turned to her. "That, my girl, is because you are not a minion." The elevator door opened then and they left the building to head back to their home. Raven thinking about what had transpired.


	7. Chapter 7: Cyborg's Interference

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_One year later…_

It had been over a year since that meeting and Raven had seen and learned much. Now that she was 16 Slade was entrusting her with more things and had pronounced her ready to begin work. In her mind it was about time. She was almost 17 and had been doing his will for almost that whole period since. But there were problems arising.

She had been doing his deeds for almost three months with no problems. Sure the police came several times, but she always had no problem dealing with them. Then almost overnight something had happened. Slade had informed her that during one of his meetings that she hadn't attended with the police commissioner he had learned there were new variables in the way. They had both noticed an increase in arrests and fewer and fewer crimes but hadn't pin pointed the reason.

Then Slade had told her there was a new patrol in town. Apparently patrolling each part of the city there was some poor soul who decided to make a difference. She had been worried at first but he had assured her it wouldn't be much of a problem. However it hadn't taken long for her to meet one of them.

Slade had sent her to grab a diamond that a "client" needed in exchange for a valuable piece of information. Even with his connections he hadn't been able to get it, so as usual he sent her in, and as usual she had done his bidding. The job was to take place on the North Side of town opposite where she and Slade stayed on the South Side. The North was where those of higher class stayed and where most of the high priced things were. She had yet to meet anyone on any side until that night.

She had gotten in easy enough, having mastered her powers she just materialized inside phasing straight through the wall. It hadn't taken her long to locate the diamond, only about fifteen minutes. Foolishly there were some security guards that tried to stop her but she had merely slammed them into the wall and they had lost consciousness. Using some of the toys Slade had purchased and passed on to her she bypassed the locking system and lifted the case where the idiots kept it on display.

It had been a simple matter of taking it and leaving until she left the room and encountered something she'd never seen before. Standing in the corridor blocking her path was what looked like a robot but only half actually. "Drop the diamond." He'd said in an annoying voice. If she had to guess she'd say he was only a few months older than her.

"Hardly", she had said and phased through the ceiling to the floor above. Naturally she'd only taken a few steps when an explosion appeared in front of her punching a hole in the floor. Through the dust she had seen the man, or cyborg as she now thought of him again blocking her path, looking impressed with himself. Stashing the diamond in her uniform she wasn't overly impressed and decided to show him who he was messing with.

Flinging out a hand she sent a blast hurtling into him and sending him hurtling down the corridor and eventually slamming into the floor. Without pausing she hopped down the hole he had conveniently blasted earlier and again moved down the hall, this time in a hurry. Now much to her annoyance h blasted a hole in the wall next to her and she had to flip back to avoid another one.

"_How the hell did he get over there?" _she thought, impressed against her will. Still he had that stupid smirk on his face and she was all too eager to get rid of it. This time she stood still and decided to mock him. "If you like punching holes so much let me assist you." With nothing more than a thought she sent him slamming through another wall and saw him hit another one hard.

Without pausing she brought her hand down and he went through the floor straight through the foundations until she heard a loud plop. She decided he was no threat in the sewers. Still hurrying through the halls she ran back the way she came and kicked open a back door, phasing in and out whenever she passed a security camera. Before she could escape however that stupid robot appeared again this time not looking amused.

"What are you?" he asked in a low voice apparently trying to appear menacing. It didn't work; she actually found it somewhat amusing. True he may not be completely human like the rest of their pathetic race but he was still getting her mad.

Now she had had enough. Launching herself into the air she shot straight to the roof. He wouldn't be able to follow her there. But she'd forgotten about that stupid cannon. Suddenly a flash of blue struck the building an inch from where she was. That was close, and now she was mad. Turning back she continued to stay in the air, facing him defiantly. Again he shot a blast at her that would have missed but she didn't want it to. Instead she smacked he hand toward it creating a shield around her hand just before contact.

Much to her satisfaction it rebounded right back at him. The only difference was, she was accurate. Unable to move as quickly as she could he attempted to dodge it and though it missed his head it still struck his chest and sent him to the ground. She watched as he hit the street with enough force to crack the pavement. Though he didn't go through like before, it seemed that that blow combined with the others had taken the fight out of him and he didn't get up.

"_Now stay down."_ She thought before rocketing into the sky and shooting toward her base. She kept an eye out as she flew over South Side for any surprises. So she underestimated the guy, big deal, she had proven he wasn't a threat. Still she activated a stealth feature on the suit Slade had created. Unlike the one she was used to it was black and silver, much like his. Still she kept a black cloak around her, and he had given her several toys to make the job easier.

Landing silently she pulled her cloak around her and pulled up the hood to hide her face. Moving silently she phased out and reappeared outside the door. Pressing her hand to the concealed slot the retinal scan started and the door hissed open, to admit her. As usual Slade was sitting in front of the computer monitors at his desk. He had added quite a few since she first met him, and no longer were they just local views, many of them covered most of the city. To her surprise she saw herself on three of the screens fighting that metal man or whatever he was.

He slowly turned in his chair and though the mask obscured his expression she would guess he was smiling. "I must say your fight with Cyborg, was impressive. You handled yourself quite well. I wonder if perhaps he will think twice about engaging you again." He paused for a moment. "I monitored your heart beat and vitals during your fight. Your heart beat barely increased and your perspiration never increased. If I didn't know better I'd say you were almost bored."

Raven was glowing inwardly that her mentor approved and basked in the compliments. Walking forward she pulled out the jewel and handed it to him. His eyes widened, "And you managed to complete the mission, my, my, such dedication."

"Of course, Slade. You didn't think I'd let him stop me did you?"

"Of course not, but I didn't see all of the battle, only what happened when you exited the building. Judging by the way he hit the ground I'd guess you'd already done some damage."

Raven scoffed, "The robot underestimated me. He thought I was just some common thief and sought to "bring me in" as the saying goes."

Slade's eyes narrowed in thought. "Yes he underestimated you, but he might not do so again. I think for now we'll stay away from the North Side. Do you understand?"

"As you wish." She turned to go to her room for the night, but he stopped her.

"I didn't monitor his signs but he did have some interesting moves. You fought him, what did you think of him?"

"Yes, he was a gifted fighter, but as you saw, he's no match for me." Without waiting for a response she went upstairs and slept. Still even in her dreams she was reliving every moment of that battle. Slade had been right she hadn't panicked and it made her feel good. She would respect his wishes, but actually looked forward to engaging him again.

Slade stayed by the monitors and stopped watching the tape. He had been impressed with Raven, but not surprised at the outcome. Still he wondered how she would fair against all of them together. She had dispatched him easily enough, but what about the others? Would they too fall before her? The moment the fight had ended he had gotten on the phone and learned everything he could about the robotic man. He had learned the kid's history and that he went by Cyborg, though originally was named Stone.

Still Raven could take care of herself. She had proven that time and again. But he knew he was right about one thing. She needed to stay away from North Side for the time being. He saw with satisfaction that Cyborg was still down from the fight and showed no indication of moving. Nodding he turned off the monitor and went to bed. Tomorrow he would complete the diamond deal.


	8. Chapter 8: The Mayor's Downfall

8

Two weeks after her fight with Cyborg, she'd laughed when Slade told her that was his name, Raven was out again, this time completing a drop off and pick up. She thought about what had happened to Cyborg and remembered the news the next day that he had been found unmoving with internal damage. It seemed his own attack had affected his systems when she hit it back at him. Still apparently he had been revived and repaired. Now she was on the East Side, and knew what to watch out for.

She and Slade had kept an ear to the ground and found out everything they could. Slade had caught an image of something green on this side and after a rather expensive investigation had learned he was called Beast Boy and transformed into animals. Tonight she wished she could be so lucky. Winter was approaching and it was getting cold. She thought she'd do anything to be able to transform into an animal with a thick coat. Still the internal heating unit built into her suit combined with the cloak that swirled around her kept the worst of the cold away.

She made her way to City Hall and phased onto the roof. Floating down she opened a window and made her way silently to an office at the end of the hall. Creating a hole to view through she saw the mayor behind his desk staring out the window. Phasing into the room she reached out and used her power to immobilize him and keep him from turning. Another one of Slade's minions, he was nothing more than a pawn in their game. He would fall along with the rest of the city.

Moving to stand only inches behind him she whispered in his ear. "Where is it? I don't have time for games so answer my question or I won't be happy." All she knew was that she was looking for a floppy disk. It seemed a little out dated to her, but hey whatever works.

Apparently the mayor didn't trust her and decided to be brave. "I don't know what you're talking about." He still couldn't see her.

She used her mind to slam him onto the desk hard enough to collapse it, but darkened the room so he couldn't see. Nothing scared people more than being confused in the dark. Like she said she didn't like games. Fortunately it seemed to get his attention.

"Alright it's in a CD case in my top drawer." She hesitated at first but he wasn't stupid enough to lie. Rifling through the top drawer she found the case and checked it to be sure it was in there. Knowing that Slade would want to honor the deal she dropped an envelope into his desk that contained an unknown amount of money. Releasing her hold she phased back through the wall. Not five seconds had passed when an alarm rang.

"_You've got to be kidding me." _She thought to herself. This guy truly was an idiot. She ended up back on the roof but paused just before leaving. Crouching behind and air conditioning unit she pulled out a communicator and called Slade. He answered after less than a second. "Hey, what does this disk thing look like?"

"What do you mean what does it look like?"

"Well the mayor tried to get brave and I wonder if he gave me the right thing."

"Interesting. Tell me what it looks like."

Popping open the case Raven described it, "It's definitely a floppy disk and it's black like a normal one."

Her heart dropped as Slade sighed, then, grew angry. "He gave you a wrong one, go back and find it. I trust an alarm won't stop you?"

Raven grew angry as well, since she hated to redo things. "Absolutely not."

Slade nodded his head. "Did you pay him?"

"Yeah, the envelope's in his drawer. I put it where I got the disk from."

She saw him bow his head and think for a moment. She was almost nervous, at this point. Minutes had passed and she knew eventually they'd come up here. "Get the money back. Check the floor underneath his desk. He's not stupid enough to not make the disk, even if he is dumb enough to try to pass off a fake."

She nodded with her eyes flashing red. "Consider it done." She went to close the communicator when he stopped her.

"And Raven, once you have what you need, make the good mayor have an accident. It's time we struck a little fear into this city." Slade's image disappeared as the screen went blank. She didn't even think about what he said. The guy had tried to trick her and she wanted vengeance. She figured killing him would be more than justified. Besides who needed a corrupt politician? True he had helped them out but they were going to get rid of him eventually so why not now?

Once again appearing outside his office door she could sense him hiding inside, with the alarm blaring. She cursed the speedy response as she heard police outside. Trying the knob she noted he had locked and barricaded it. She sneered at his stupidity. Using her powers she burst the lock apart and sent a wave of energy at the door, blasting it off its hinges and across the room, and shattering the window. _"Well that's going to draw attention." _She decided to make it fast.

With a simple hand gesture the desk flew to the side and revealed a small door in the floor. "_Clever boy," _she thought. Kicking the door open she pulled out a small box. Taking the top off she saw it was filled with random things. Picking through it she found the disk Slade had described and took the other one out of its CD case and placed it in. Putting the new case into her pocket she took the money out of his desk and stashed it away as well.

Still she had one job to do. Turning toward the cowering man she levitated him over to the broken window and dangled him out of it. "I warned you not to play games." As she was about to let him fall someone crashed into the room. Turning she saw it was the little green guy who like Cyborg, looked around her age.

The kid drew up short as he saw the mayor's predicament. Holding up his hands he spoke slowly. "Take it easy, now. Don't do something you'll regret." Raven couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and smirk. She couldn't think of a single thing she had ever done or had yet to do that she would regret. The humans would get what they deserved.

The green one apparently took her lack of action as a good sign and took a step forward. That was a mistake. She let the old man drop about ten feet out the window before the "hero" jumped back. "Okay lady, calm down. Why don't you just let him go?"

Now she couldn't help but smile. "Very poor choice of words." Beast Boy realized his mistake as she did what he said and the mayor began to plummet 300 yards to the street below. Raven watched as he dove out the window and transformed into a rather large bird and caught the mayor.

"_Damn, he caught him." _Slade had told her what to do and she wasn't about to fail him. Jumping out the window after them she felt her eyes change as they flashed to a pure white color. Reaching out she wrapped her mind around a police car and sent it hurtling at the green bird.

Unable to dodge it due to the extra weight he instinctively released the mayor still 150 yards up. The police car flew through the air and struck a building across the street disappearing in a ball of fire. She saw the man hit the concrete and watched as a splash of red appeared around him at the same time he hit. Stretching out with her mind she sensed that his own mind was no longer active. She achieved her goal. Mr. Mayor was now dead.

She turned around and flew back into the air and saw Beast Boy standing on the road staring down at the street in horror. She couldn't resist getting one last shot in. "You should really watch what you say. You're the one who told me to drop him. His death is on your hands."

He finally lifted his gaze to hers and his green face colored in anger, something she hadn't expected it to be able to do. "You're a monster!" He spat out, but still too stunned to attack.

Again she cracked a grin, "You have no idea." Then her face grew serious. "And let this be a message to you and your little _friends."_

Beast Boy continued to watch as she suddenly took the shape of her namesake and vanished. Then he came back to his senses and cursed himself for letting her get away. Now he had no idea what to do, no clue where she would go. He heard what had happened to Cyborg and now knew who was responsible. Next time he would be ready.


	9. Chapter 9: Press Conference

**A/N: Alright so before we begin this is what's going on.** **My computer is having some problems, so when I head home for Thanksgiving Break I'm getting it fixed, meaning I won't have access for a bit. When I get back I have exams but I'm not exactly what you'd call overly dedicated to m academics, so I doubt that will stop me. Anyway, it might be one or two weeks before I can add more stuff so check it. After this I'm going to try and do one more multiple chapter post before I have to get my computer checked out. So bear with me for a bit it'll only be a temporary absence. **

_**Laissez Les Jeux Commencer! **_

9

Slade watched the news coverage of what was going on. This was big; he didn't need his monitors to know what Raven had done. Judging by the reports the mayor had fallen, been saved and then fallen again. He guessed she had run into another one of those, self-styled heroes. He was amazed she had pressed the attack after the mayor had been saved. True he had told her to kill him, but even he wouldn't have expected her to go that far. _"That's loyalty you can't buy." _He thought to himself. He was actually touched that she had gone to such lengths to please him.

Still this was definitely big, perhaps too big. Now there would be a massive man hunt and unfortunately all of those kids were still breathing. He really didn't want them to find this place. Still he had Raven and wondered again what the outcome of such a battle would be. He heard the door hiss open and heard her walk toward the room. Obviously she could hear the television. He waited until she had come in and sat down to talk to her. "Well that was rather interesting. I was just watching your latest exploits on the news. Please tell me you at least got what I sent you for."

Raven reached into her pocket and removed the CD case. Popping it open she handed it to him and once again saw his eyes light up in pleasure of a job well done. "Very good Raven, but tomorrow we face a different problem. Obviously you won't be working for a while but there is a city meeting I need you to attend. It's open to the public, but with my connections we can get you in the inner circle. Basically you need to become Rachel again."

"No problem." She said standing up to leave.

"Actually, Raven there is a problem. Those idiot kids will now be after you in force. Forget the police they're all idiots and I can take care of them, but those kids are idealists and they won't be shaken so easily. Due to this latest event they might join together and come for you. You still don't know what the other two can do."

Raven shrugged it off and went up the stairs. "I'll be careful Slade.

"_I certainly hope so Raven, I've gotten quite used to you." _Slade shook his head as the thought went through his head. Only an idiot would have such thoughts, she was almost a daughter to him. He had raised her and taught her everything she knew. Shaking his head again he turned off the TV, and checked the security cameras once again. Satisfied all was okay he went to his room and hoped she wouldn't kill him in the morning. After all she hated going out in the day. It would really suck if she blasted him into oblivion.

Raven tossed in her bed unable to sleep. Eventually she got sick of trying and went downstairs. The first thing she did was check the security system and made sure all was quiet. Checking the clock she saw it was six in the morning. The conference she was supposed to attend didn't start for six more hours. Not really knowing what to do she went upstairs and started reading one of her spell books, expanding her knowledge. Not realizing it, she slowly dozed into a sleep wrought with fitful dreams from which she couldn't escape.

Slade walked into his apprentice's room and noticed her tossing back and forth. Really he was surprised she was able to sleep with all the movement. Moving forward he said her name twice before she finally opened her eyes. She had obviously been having a nightmare because he was forced to duck quickly to avoid a table that flew at his head. He raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "It must've been some dream. It's been a long time since I had to duck an uncontrolled object."

Raven glanced down at the bed. "Yeah, sorry. What do you need?"

"Oh, it's not what I need. You need to get up and prepare to go to that little conference the city is holding after the tragic loss of the mayor."

Raven looked confused for a moment before she remembered she already knew that. "Oh yeah, sorry. Give me a minute."

"Fine. I'm going as well, but under another name and I won't be with you. I'll stand with the ordinary citizens, and find out what they think."

"Raven nodded, surprised that they weren't doing it the other way around."

One hour later they both left, Raven headed toward the garage, once again looking like her alias and Slade walking in the other direction. He decided he would take the bus to better feel for what the public thought. It made sense to Raven who double checked she had everything and then opened the door and pulled out the keys to her own Porsche Carrera that she had gotten not so long ago.

Pulling out she shut the door behind her and drove down the street. She passed Slade waiting at the bus stop with a group of people, but they didn't acknowledge each other. This time he was in a completely new mask, one she hadn't seen before, but he looked like a man in his forties instead of twenties. She wished she was so good at disguising herself, but he hadn't bothered to teach her that. Instead he had given her something better. He had given her anonymity, which, he said, was the strongest protection one could have.

She reached the other side of the city and had to park several blocks away. Not feeling like walking the whole way she phased out and appeared in the middle of an alley alongside the building. In this area the alleys were clean and clear. She walked in the building and those who saw her recognized her and let her pass. Or at least those who mattered recognized her. She arrived at her destination and settled in for a long and boring speech that would eventually lead into some other figure saying a few touching words that he had rehearsed all night long.

When the city councilman stood in front of them, she tried to appear concerned as he spoke about what a tragedy it was, and how there was an unknown threat. She had to struggle to hide her surprise when two people walked through the door. It was none other than Cyborg and Beast Boy there to talk about the person they were looking for. She was quite flattered at the details.

They refferred to her, as a young woman who didn't really appear threatening but was highly dangerous, and was not to be approached alone. She was however insulted when they said they didn't care whether she was brought in or brought down. Eventually her mind wandered and she wondered what Slade was doing and what the public's reaction was.

After the "Heroes" were done talking they left the room, probably to repeat themselves to those outside. The little get together lasted about another half hour when the councilman said some more words and invited all to attend the speech he was going to give in memory of the mayor. Quite frankly Raven didn't really care. She hadn't thought much of the mayor when he was alive and just wanted to return to her room and sleep.

Slade waited patiently as two heroes he hadn't seen before spoke to the crowd outside. Well rather one did the talking while the other just looked around. One was a young man who took himself way too seriously and looked like a rainbow. The other was a young girl who wouldn't stand still and really just appeared nothing short of stupid.

He wondered what was going on inside the building and left once the kids were finished. Like Raven he preferred to sleep during the day and that's just what he was going to do.


	10. Chapter 10: A New Team

10

_Three months later…_

Raven was 18 now and getting annoyed. After the way she had dealt with the mayor, after his little stunt things in Jump City had really tightened down, and after her next few assignments it was getting more difficult for even her to get around at night. Still despite her distaste of working during the day, she rather enjoyed knowing she could deceive the public. Now she was working less frequently hoping the hunt for her would calm down.

Unfortunately that meant Slade had to hire other minions who weren't so skilled and after several had been captured by the oh so adorable teenage heroes several had given his name, in an attempt for a lighter punishment. True their stunt had worked but after betraying Slade she made sure they didn't live long enough to enjoy their freedom. The police may not have found the bodies but everyone in the criminal underworld had noted the disappearance and it wasn't hard to surmise what had happened.

It looked to Raven, as if they would need to speed things up before the authorities closed in on Slade. Deciding she was bored she sought out Slade hoping he would have something for her. She found him in the training room practicing with the sword she had seen him with many times before. She also saw, there were slight alterations to his uniform, though it still looked mostly the same. With his heightened senses he must have heard her enter because he stopped what he was doing but didn't bother to turn toward her.

"What is it Raven?"

"I'm bored, and there's nothing to do. Please tell me you have something that needs to be done." Slade paused apparently thinking before he turned to look at her.

"Fine. There's a new corporation being built and they've just installed their vault. Rumor has it, that's where all the latest technology and information will be stored. I want the layout of that building, and the codes to the system. I was going to hire someone, but since you're so eager, you might as well go instead." Again he turned his back. "Leave within the hour."

Raven left the room feeling the thrill come over her at the prospect of an upcoming mission. She was almost looking forward to a battle. But she owed it to Slade, and she wouldn't let herself get caught. Changing into her uniform she headed toward the door silently. Checking the wall monitors she saw there was no one outside the building and she opened the door and stepped out.

This time Raven began to shiver almost immediately before the suits heating properties kicked in. Looking around her she saw there was snow on the ground and falling steadily from the sky. Drawing the cloak tighter around her she pulled up her hood and took to the shadows. She had moved maybe two blocks when a voice chimed through her ear piece.

"Raven, the building is in the West part of the city. You've not yet run into trouble there so watch out."

"Understood Slade."

As much as she wanted to disregard the warning she knew he was right, and she shouldn't get careless. It didn't take her very long before she got tired of walking and simply popped into the East Side area. It wasn't particularly large but it was one of the nicer areas, and it didn't take her long to find the building. At this point it was just a shell of its future self.

Kicking open the door she walked inside and saw that while the outside was mainly finished the inside was a completely different story. Around her everything was plain, and the floors bear. She was actually surprised they would have built the vault already. But then one of the first things she had learned was that security was installed first, and if anything in this dump worked it would be the security system. Taking a lift she descended to the floor simply labeled B2.

After she exited she saw she was in a large room that was entirely round and contrary to the rest of the building this part was definitely finished. It reminded her of home, with several screens all over one side. Making her way to the system she used all the wonderful skills Slade had taught her, and in no time she found what she wanted. Copying all the information she was finished in less than ten minutes and was taking the lift back up when it stopped.

"_What the hell?"_ Losing patience she levitated herself to the main floor, and exited the building looking around her. Obviously she had tripped some sort of alarm, because she heard a siren in the distance, quickly approaching. She found the response time pathetic. Still she was in no mood to play games, or be caught. Disappearing she reappeared on the roof and leapt onto the next one. She had crossed three others and was about to make another jump when something shot past her head. It actually looked like a boomerang. Her suspicion was confirmed when it turned a came back.

She followed its course until it returned to its source. She blinked as she turned around and saw something maybe 30 feet from her on the other side of the roof. She recognized him from the news. He was the fourth so called hero, though she thought he patrolled her side of town. Decked out in mainly yellow, red, and green, he wore a black cape and stared at her defiantly. She gazed coolly at him and it was obvious she didn't think him much of a problem.

"What are you supposed to be, a human traffic light?" She asked him and almost smiled as his face turned bright enough to match his uniform. She wondered what he was thinking but a mask concealed his eyes so she had a hard time reading him. Still he voiced the question on that was on his mind; indeed it was on everyone's mind, moments later.

"Who are you, and who do you work for?" Raven was going to ignore the question until she again heard Slade's voice in her ear.

"Go ahead Raven, answer the question. It's time someone learns the truth. Besides he'll learn it soon enough and there's nothing he can do to stop us anyway."

Raven obeyed without question, but didn't lower her hood. Slade hadn't told her to show her face, and she didn't want to. But she decided to taunt him while answering.

"I'm sure a walking traffic light like you can figure that out on your own, but for lack of time and obvious brain power, I'll tell you."

Obviously he didn't like the comment because he threw another thing at her. She threw up her shield and decided to show him instead. Making the shield take the form of a raven it blocked her entirely and whatever he had thrown was deflected and detonated shortly after.

"Very amusing Raven, just answer the question." Came Slade's dry voice. She really was tempted to laugh.

"The name's Raven, and who might you be? Or should I just assume you don't have a name and enjoy looking like a rainbow?" Raven knew his name from Slade's information and just to annoy him, cut him off as he opened his mouth. "Oh wait no let me guess. You must be Robin, the one who patrols South Side. Now tell me what would a little bird like you be doing over here?"

"Looking for you. You've made quite the impression, but only a coward runs from a fight."

She wasn't an idiot; she knew what he was trying to do. Maybe when she was a child it would have worked but part of Slade's training had been to control her emotions and to never lose control like he was trying to make her do now. Besides such restraint was required where her powers were concerned. Still she didn't like the insult.

"Cowards may run, but birds are supposed to fly."

With a simple gesture her eyes flashed white and he went hurtling backwards off the roof. She had sense unlike the others he was simply human and there was no way he'd survive the impact. However before she could jump to the next roof she heard something clank behind her. She turned in time to see a wire wrap itself around a pole on the roof and the boy zipped to the top.

"_Of course, the beauty of technology." _Now he didn't look defiant or amused, if anything he looked angry. But he wouldn't have come back up without some sort of plan. Raven had no idea what plan that might be until she heard something behind her. She had heard it before when she fought Cyborg.

"_Someone brought company" _Raven phased out and reappeared on the edge of the roof. The blast passed right through where she had been standing.

Before she could completely gain her balance that stupid green kid showed up on the other side, and two seconds after that something else that was green but looked like a blast from that robot came from directly above her. That was something new. She spun to the side, as it blew a hole in the roof.

Gazing up she saw the last one who she had yet to encounter. The girl actually looked orange and had bright red hair. The glowing green eyes and the fact she had just shot an energy blast at her, was a giveaway that the girl wasn't human. Unless she was wrong Raven would peg her for a Tameranean. She raised an eyebrow as she saw her current situation.

"This, is gonna be fun." She said with a grin, as she heard Cyborg's cannon charge up just before it fired. Not bothering to block it she moved Beast Boy into the way, making him pull the attack. Raven also rotated and again avoided one of those annoying shots from the Tameranean. She continued to move around ducking and dodging anything that came at her. Unfortunately though she held her own, she couldn't destroy them either.

They had been fighting for several minutes when the inevitable happened. Apparently the explosions and light flashes had drawn the attention of the police. She sensed them seconds before the opened the hatch that led to the roof. Unfortunately the brief diversion of her attention cost her. Though she turned in time to avoid a blast from Cyborg one of that stupid kid's boomerangs cut her across the face, and drew blood. Completely knocked off balance she was launched sideways as something slammed into her with the force of a battering ram.

"_What the hell was that a dinosaur?" _It really didn't seem fair that the little green monster could become an animal he'd never even seen before. She felt jolted as she slammed into a railing. Unless she was mistaken the pain in her side meant a rib was cracked.

Again Slade's voice sounded in her ear. "Raven, don't get careless. Mind your surroundings."

Throwing up a shield on instinct she was encased by black energy, blocking a blast she hadn't even anticipated. But now she was weak and the barrier didn't hold. That one blast was enough to destroy it. Now that the cops were on the roof things were getting bad.

It was time, she decided, to level the playing field, literally. Phasing out she appeared on the other side of the roof away from the others. It seemed they had grown over confident and forgotten she could do that. Acting quickly she released an explosion of almost all of the power inside her, strong enough to destroy the very foundations of this building. No one except her knew what was happening as the building shook, just seconds before it began to implode, upon itself.

She used her remaining power to surround herself in a shield as she fell with the building and it collapsed on top of all of them.


	11. Chapter 11: Wounded Raven

11

Raven's eyes shot open, and she looked around wondering where she was. It took her several moments to realize she was back in her room, though extremely stiff. Lifting the covers she saw she had a rather large bandage over her ribs and several other bandages, on hands. Reaching up she could feel a fry flaky substance on her forehead and supposed it was dried blood. Her suspicion was made firm when she moved her hand higher and felt another bandage on her scalp.

Raven heard a beeping before her door opened and Slade walked in. He was again wearing the mask that hid any kind of emotion.

"Congratulations Raven, you committed a federal crime, when you destroyed the post office. But you also managed to crush the alien and the robot. However despite their injuries, the alien was strong enough to survive and I suppose the robot was too much of a machine to die."

Raven was struggling to wrap her head around everything. "How long was I out for?"

"Two days. Your exploits are still on the news. I suppose the fact that you killed half the police force along with the building has something to do with it." She could practically hear the smile in his words and assumed it was his regular grim one. "It seems our enemies have joined forces. I didn't see it before because the little base they've set up is just outside city limits where I've yet to set up surveillance. Due to your nature you can heal quicker than the others, and you should be back to normal by tomorrow night."

Slade paused and she could see his eyes narrow through the slits in his mask. "When you leave your room tomorrow report to me. I have a job for you, that I wish for you to complete before they're all healed." He turned his back and began to leave. "By the way, I bandaged you up, but your uniform was trashed. Now that you're conscious and quickly recovering you should be able to bandage yourself. There are some by your bed. I suggest you change them before tomorrow night."

Without further comment he left and pressed the pad by the door making it shut behind him. Raven was surprised he had found her, and even more surprised he had fixed some of her injuries. Then her stomach flopped as she realized he must have been the one to remove her uniform. She decided to put it out of her mind and quickly fell back asleep.

Slade left Ravens room and walked down the stairs toward the many view screens that watched the city. He had added a few more cameras the night before that were aimed at that ridiculous T out in the ocean. He had to admit, despite the idiocy of such an obvious hideout the location was well thought out. Attacking a small island would be more difficult than something on land. Still Raven could handle it. She was his best student, and one day he would tell her the truth.

The battle between her and the newly named Teen Titans had gotten much news coverage and Beast Boy and Robin had been rather outspoken about the new threat. He found it ironic that they had called her a new threat since she was hardly new. Her next assignment would be the most dangerous and complicated yet. He was sending her into the tower itself to plant cameras and spy on the enemy.

Looking at the clock he saw the sun would rise soon, and he had no desire to be awake when it did. Before retreating for the day he made sure all was ready for tomorrow night, when Rave would undertake her mission. He had been pleased she had healed so quickly. While the others may not be entirely human and could heal faster than normal it wouldn't be fast enough to stop her. The only thing he was concerned about was their tower's defenses. Without access to their systems he didn't know what they were.

Satisfied all was well he found the screen shot of Titans Tower and zoomed in as close as possible. The lights were on and he couldn't help but wonder what they were doing. Hopefully in less than 24 hours he would have full access to their tower, and the goings on within it.

Powering down the machine he activated the security, more out of habit than anything, and retired for the day.


	12. Chapter 12: Titans Tower

12

It was well after midnight and Raven was standing on the beach staring out at the island where Titans Tower was located. It looked bigger up close and she couldn't help but scoff at the ridiculousness of it. Really who lived inside a letter? It wasn't exactly stealthy. Not like her home. No one would be able to find it unless they knew where she was.

Conjuring a sphere of dark energy she stood on top of it and used it to carry herself the short distance across the water to the edge of the island. The new suit Slade had created was better than the last and had more features. Still she had her usual cloak and it dragged the ground behind her. It was pleasantly warm out for the middle of winter and she wasn't even cold. Pausing outside the large door she saw a pad similar to the scanner on her own door and knew better than to touch it.

Phasing out she appeared on the other side of the wall and found herself in a room that reminded her of the entrance to Slade's base. There were many view screens on the far wall and she could see the entire city. Raven was pleased to see they had overlooked her specific part of town which explained why they had yet to find her.

Reaching into her cloak she took out a small listening device and stuck it under the couch. Most microphones would be muffled under such cover but this one was designed to record a pin drop within 200 yards. Levitating to the ceiling she put a camera no bigger than a pen point by the light. It was clear and impossible to see unless you knew it was there. Even the robot's sensors wouldn't pick it up. She still wore an ear piece and heard Slade's voice through it.

"Good Raven. That presents a view of the entire room. And the recording device is prefect I can actually hear you moving around. Hurry and plant the last few and get out."

"Where do you want them?"

"Place two on each floor and if you can get one inside each bedroom. You should be able to stick them there just by phasing in and out quickly."

Raven knew taking such an action was a large risk but it was a necessary one. Ascending one level she saw a door labeled ROBIN and knew it was the team leader, one of the ones who had escaped the buildings destruction unscathed. Leaving his room for last she moved past it and continued down the hall. She threw another microphone onto the air and stuck it on the ceiling next to a small camera like the last one. She repeated the process when she reached the end of the hall and saw another door labeled STARFIRE. It was fairly obvious that this was the alien's room, since no human parent would be cruel enough to pass on such a name.

She remembered Slade's report that she had been buried when the building collapsed. Phasing through the door she appeared next to the bed and stuck a microphone under it and stuck a small camera in a corner of the room giving a clear shot of the whole thing. Again phasing out she reappeared one floor up and went through the process of attaching the microphones and cameras before moving on. This time she came to a room with a rather large TV and what she recognized as a GameStation hooked up. She had never understood the need for such things since they seemed to have no value.

Moving down another hall she saw the last two rooms she needed. One was labeled CYBORG and the one on the other side of the hall was labeled BEAST BOY. She took care of the green one's room first and phased back out. She paused to laugh at the fact that they had labeled each one of their rooms. If they needed to do that they weren't overly smart.

"Raven stop fooling around, you have two more rooms to do, before you're in the clear. Now get to it."

Turning serious again she phased into Cyborg's room being more careful than the others. Someone like this was bound to have good security. Attaching a camera to the ceiling and a microphone by the window she was hesitant to approach him. Even injured he could present a problem. Her suspicion was proved right when she moved toward the door and an alarm sounded. Though she had no idea what she had done, Raven knew the alarm for what it was, and it was less than 30 seconds before that walking traffic light came around the corner at full speed.

Luckily she was out of site thanks to another one of Slade's improvements. This time she was wearing fingerless gloves that had some sort of adhesive that let her cling to walls in case she didn't have time to phase out. Bird boy ran right past her without noticing and he opened Cyborg's door to check on him. Letting herself drop she executed a flip in mid air before landing in a crouch. She still had a job to do and she was going to do it if it killed her.

Phasing out she appeared inside Robin's room and made a cursory glance before deciding where to put the devices. Before she could phase out Slade's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Raven the camera's are up and the Tamaranean is headed your way. Their leader is in the main room checking the security cameras. I suggest you hide until you get a chance to escape. I would say get through a window but no doubt there're alarms on them too. If you set off another one they'll track you for sure."

Raven did the only thing she could think of and rolled under the bed, just before the door opened. Not wanting to risk discovery she melted through the floor and dropped into the basement. She swore hoping she would have fallen into the sewer system making her escape easier. Now she was just farther away from the exit.

She swore again as the door was kicked open and she ducked behind a pile of boxes. She had no idea how they found her but she was suddenly reminded of the night Slade had found her, when she had been in a similar situation. But no, she was no longer a small helpless child. Slade had taught her to survive and that's what she was determined to do. Now her only consolation was that her job was done.

"Who's in here?" She recognized the annoying voice that belonged to the green one. "Do you know where you are? You're in Titans Tower. What kind of lunatic breaks in here?" The idiot moved farther into the room before continuing. "You might as well give up; if you do we might go easy on you."

That got her mad and she phased out and appeared behind him. He obviously heard her and tried to turn, but she didn't give him the chance before she backhanded him and he hit the floor. On impulse she threw a microphone and camera into the air and stuck it to the ceiling. Still face down the kid didn't see what she had done.

The kid got up and his eyes narrowed as he recognized her. "You're the one who killed the mayor. Why'd you do it? He hadn't done anything wrong."

Raven laughed at his naivety. "Oh that has to be the biggest understatement of the year. You were defending a man so corrupt he was doing my bidding." She thought it best not to mention Slade. "And technically he died of natural causes. Gravity being the natural cause after a 300 yard fall from a window you told me to drop him out of. So really all I did wrong was break the window. Let's see, vandalism, what's the price for that, a small fine?" She said it all with a mocking grin.

Obviously he was mad because he suddenly transformed into a wolf and growled. She saw the blood on his face from where she had struck him and was interested to find that it, like a human's was red, and she'd half expected it to be green. With a simple gesture she sent him flying toward a wall, but before he got there he changed in to a bat and was able to recover. Raven noted that it was still easy to fight as long as they came one at a time.

She found his power annoying and narrowing her eyes she morphed him into a rat and he plopped to the ground from 20 feet up. He changed back into a teenager on impact obviously stunned.

Running to the top of the stairs she saw the door open and the leader standing there. Not bothering to stop she actually phased through him and appeared behind him. He looked around confused not realizing what she had done. She rounded a corner and came within sight of the door when a flash of green light caused her to jump high into the air. That stupid Tamaranean was blocking her path. Even injured it appeared she was a threat.

This time Raven vanished in a flash taking the form of her namesake and appeared on the floor above. It wasn't long however before that idiotic robot came around the corner, obviously damaged but determined to return the favor. She was actually impressed at his will to fight. Now all four of them were up and moving, and it appeared they were actually coordinating.

"_Good for them, bad for me"_

But this wasn't the roof and she had more room to move around. Intercepting a shot from his cannon she bounced it back at him as she had done months before. This time however he shot another blast not aimed at her but at his own attack headed toward him. The two collided in midair and canceled each other out, though they did cause a small explosion blowing a hole in the wall and creating a cloud of dust. By the time it cleared enough for him to see Raven had vanished.

Again she appeared before the door but Robin was waiting and an explosive detonated inches from her foot where she was about to step. Before she knew it she was airborne and hit the ceiling hard enough to crack the plaster.

"_Okay, that hurt a bit."_

Raven still had the bandage on her ribs and she painfully landed on them when she hit the floor. Before she could recover he appeared over her with a cord and tried to wrap it around her wrist. Still he wasn't the only one who could play with explosives. Before he was done she flipped backwards and a small disk fell out of her pocket and several red lights lit up along the side. But instead of an explosion fire shot out of it, tracing a line along the floor and making him back up. Using her power she snapped the cord he had tried to bind her hands with.

Unfortunately the fire sent up a cloud of smoke and she couldn't breathe as it clogged her lungs. With no other option she phased out and appeared on the roof, something she should have done before then. The fresh air hit her and cleared her lungs as she sank to her knees. But she wasted precious seconds recovering before moving on. Finally fully recovered she broke for the ledge but that stupid robot was waiting for her and she realized he had anticipated her escape.

She drew up short as she saw something new. His fist actually separated from his arm and shot straight at her. That was something she couldn't deflect, only dodge.

"_So, he's learned." _Raven thought bitterly. She stood staring at him until the door burst open behind her and Robin and Starfire came through. It seemed Beast Boy was still out. The leader actually pointed at her and tried to intimidate her.

"Give it up Raven. You're all alone up here." She was actually surprised he didn't attack straight away, but she smirked as she caught something out of the corner of her eye.

"No I'm not."

A look of confusion flashed across his face before a man appeared behind Cyborg and a sword flashed quickly. Sparks flew as Cyborg's shorted out and he fell to the ground.

The Tamaranean yelled in surprise.

"Robin, what is that?"

It seemed Raven was the only one who knew. Really it was rather embarrassing they couldn't figure it out. Robin gasped though as he noticed something, though she wasn't sure what.

Thanks to his enhanced abilities Slade crossed the roof and slammed an elbow into Robins face making a splash of red appear as though he had popped a balloon. It actually reminded her of what she had done to Beast Boy, who still hadn't made an appearance. Unfortunately Slade's back was turned and Cyborg had gotten to his feet and attacked before she could stop him.

Slade staggered several steps forward as he was struck in the back, before he could recover Cyborg began to pummel him nonstop spinning him around and punching his face before twisting his wrist until Slade dropped the sword. Still unable to defend against the heavy onslaught Raven heard Cyborg yell at him.

"Come one tough guy let's see what you can do!" She was actually surprised at his inability to knock Slade down. She knew he was strong but this went beyond anything she had suspected. Any normal human would be beaten to within an inch of his life, and Cyborg seemed to know it.

Before Raven could help she had to deflect a blast from the Tamaranean who had to drop off the roof to dodge it. In the meantime Robin had thrown one of those boomerang things and cut Slade across the face slashing through the mask and she saw blood spatter across his uniform as it caused a deep gash in his face.

Before it could return Raven seized control of it and altered its course just enough to slash the kid across his shoulder again drawing blood. Phasing behind him she slammed a fist into his back as Cyborg had done to Slade. Before he could recover she kicked him in the face and he landed on his back. Had he enjoyed the same benefits Slade had he's still be standing.

Cyborg had temporarily forgotten about her and he was still fighting Slade. Finally it appeared that he had knocked Slade down though it turned out to be a trick as Slade executed a roll to the side and snatched up his sword. Not one to make mistakes Cyborg went on the defensive evading the strikes. Raven decided she had had enough and sent a blast at him gathering and releasing her power with a single thought. Though he realized what she had done it was too late for Cyborg to fully dodge it and it caused him to stagger and break his concentration.

She saw sparks fly as Slade's sword sliced through his arm and his cannon arm fell to the ground. Obviously that was too much for the robot who sank to his knees. Before Slade could finish him he was hit by a blast from the stupid alien that Raven had forgotten about. It seemed that while he had withstood Cyborg's attack it had indeed taken its toll and the blast burned through his uniform and left a burn mark on his chest. He was finally knocked to his knees, this time it was no trick.

Reaching into her cloak again Raven decided to try out a toy she hadn't had use for yet. Basically it was a small flame thrower that was hand held. Starfire was caught off guard as the fire caught her clothes and she fell to the roof rolling around trying to put out the flames.

"_There, a burn for a burn." _She thought bitterly.

As she ran toward Slade she saw Robin try to struggle to his feet.

"_Why won't he stay down?" _

Still Raven didn't really care and she again kicked him in the face this time shattering his nose and unless she was mistaken crushing an eye socket. He was knocked into the air and landed on his back, face battered and bloody, this time unconscious. Cyborg was still in no condition to get up, lying on his side. The same went for the alien who though she had managed to put out the flames had a smoking outfit and a bad burn across her face, that would never heal.

When she arrived at Slade he was on his side, with that gash across his face and his uniform partly covered in blood from the injury. She could see the burn through his uniform, and though her ribs hurt she rapped the cloak around them both and phased out, directly into their base. Dumping him unceremoniously on the table Raven got what she needed to fix him. At least for now. By the time she returned he was unconscious, but really she was surprised he was breathing.

An hour later she levitated him into his room and let him fall on the bed.

"You better heal." She said in a low voice, before silently adding what she would never say to his face, _"I've grown quite fond of you."_


	13. Chapter 13: Raven's Decision

13

Raven spent the next 24 hours monitoring Slade's condition. She had no doubt he would recover but she wasn't sure how long it would take. While she wasn't watching him she thought back on their battle and occasionally watched what was happening inside Titans Tower. The battle had been interesting and had taken quite the toll. All she'd seen so far on the monitors was the teens staying in their rooms recovering.

Unfortunately she and Slade had had their problems too. She had the suspicion that had he not shown up she would be in police custody or worse. It was something she couldn't let happen again. As she continued to think over the battle she realized she was relying too much on her powers and didn't know enough of hand to hand combat, and martial arts. Still she knew how to cure that. But she also needed away to become stronger.

While she was more powerful than a human it wouldn't much matter against people like Cyborg, Starfire, or Beast Boy. Both Cyborg and Starfire had immense strength while Beast Boy could just transform if he wanted extra strength. After several hours of debate she had only one answer. And she knew that once Slade found out she'd be lucky if he didn't kill her.

Activating the computer system she searched through databases until she found the file on Slade's transformation. Inside it she found what was done to him and that the changes could be triggered by an injection. Finding what she needed she headed toward the small lab in the back of the building and using the data she had copied from his system she recreated what had been done.

Filling a syringe with the toxin she needed she paused to think. Then before she could think better of it or stop herself she plunged the needle into her neck and pushed in the plunger injecting the chemical into her body. It took less than a minute before her body reacted.

Raven was forced to clench her head as sharp pains shot through it and it felt like it would split in half. Her knees grew weak and she fell to the floor as the veins in her arms darkened and seemed to bulge. She couldn't stop herself as she twitched several times on the floor and wondered if she had made a mistake. For the first time she wondered if it would have an effect on her powers or if it would leave them alone. Whatever happened it was too late now.

After several more minutes or writhing on the floor she tried to make her way to her room but had barely left the lab when she collapsed unconscious on the floor. As she blacked out her only thought was that she hoped she didn't die.

Slade woke up in bed as he heard a cry in the distance. It sounded like his apprentice, but he didn't know what could cause her to make such a sound. As he tried to get up he hissed as he felt a pain in the center of his chest. Without warning his mind was overrun by the memories that raced through him.

Titans Tower, that stupid robot hitting him, and the Tamaranean, hitting him with some stupid energy blast. He also remembered hearing cries around him as people fell to the ground. Lastly he remembered Raven's face appear over him and check his eyes before vanishing with him and bringing him back.

Judging from the fact that he was just now regaining consciousness he had to surmise that the one responsible for fixing him was Raven, and he felt a flicker of affection for the girl that she would do that instead of sacrificing him to save herself.

Slade stood up but had only taken three steps when a wave of dizziness overcame him and he pressed a hand to his forehead and felt cool skin. With a shock he realized his mask had been removed. But when he looked in the mirror he saw why as he spotted the scar that ran across his face. Now he remembered something else.

That stupid kid had cut him across the face with something, and it had left quite the mark. Oh well, he would get Raven to fix it later, but for now he decided to take the hint and go back to bed. If all went well he would be back to normal in the next twelve hours. But he certainly knew he wouldn't be risking a venture outside for a while.

At least not until something had been done about those ridiculous Titans.


	14. Chapter 14: Surveilance

14

Raven sat by Slade's computers for two nights straight watching the video feed from inside Titans Tower. He had been right about where to put the cameras and she had a good view from every angle. It had been 48 hours since she had injected herself and Slade still hadn't risen from bed. Really she had expected him up long before now.

She no longer slept during the day spending every moment meditating to control her mind which seemed to be slowly slipping away. She remembered Slade had described a similar sensation when he had been experimented on, but she had hoped she would be able to control it with her powers. Despite her best efforts she often suffered severe headaches and felt herself slipping from reality. So far though she had managed to maintain control of her mind through intense meditation.

Tonight she sat in front of the screens watching as the Titans returned from their all day search of the city. They had spent last night and all day searching for her and Slade with no luck, but she had a feeling their time was running out. She listened to their conversation fascinated as they all reclined in the main room around their own computers. She watched and listened as they reviewed the fight again and talked over what had happened.

*** *** ***

It was Robin who was speaking. "So we now know what we're facing we just need to learn how to defeat them. Cyborg, what did your sensors pick up, did they match an ID signature."

"Man I told you, already, I didn't get any matches of either, though I did get suggestions off the guy. But judging by the way he fought it had to be Deathstroke. I got nothing on the girl though. Not even a partial match."

"I spotted a stylized S on both their uniforms. Judging by what we know from the criminals we've arrested only Slade wear's that emblem."

"Great, so we know Slade and Deathstroke are on in the same. If that weren't bad enough he's got the girl working with him and she's a total wild card. She took out Beast Boy, Starfire, and you. How are we supposed to match that?"

"We'll focus on that later. First we focus on Slade; he must be the one in control. If we can stop him we should be able to stop her."

"How to you propose we do that? Even I couldn't take down Slade. There's something not right about him. As many times as I hit him and the force behind the punches he should have been an inch from dead." Cyborg shook his head. "It was like fighting Adonis in that chemical factory, only twice as bad. Slade actually did damage."

"Friends, you may be right, but it was the girl who came around first. She must be his agent. We will see her before we see him."

Again Robin spoke out. "Starfire's right. Slade showed up after Raven was in trouble. We should try to capture her to lure him out."

"Are you insane? Raven knocked me out and left me down in the basement without breaking a sweat. Her powers are good enough to manipulate my own. Besides if she's confident enough to invade the Tower she must be confident enough to take us on."

"Yeah, but why attack the Tower. When we saw her she took off almost like she didn't want to be seen. I suppose she could have been here to attack us in our sleep, but she didn't seem too interested in that."

"Well Slade's pulling her strings. Maybe he wanted her to attack us and she hesitated for some reason."

"Robin are you insane? She brought the post office to the ground in an attempt to kill us and fulfill a stupid mission. It's a miracle you and I weren't hurt. If she's willing to risk her own life and kill half the city's police in an effort to please Slade, there's no way she'd disobey him."

"Yes, but she is not of this Earth. I know not what world she is from but, she seemed to know about my world."

"Forget her we need to focus on Slade. He's the key to everything."

"Yeah Robin's right. There's no doubt they're working together but we need to figure out their plans. Not to mention if I'm right about Slade being more than human he and the girl should be recovered in no time. If we learn his plan we may be able to anticipate their next moves."

"Maybe we should call in the Titans East. We might benefit from their help."

"I am not so sure that is a good plan. If too many of our friends gather in one place it may give Raven and Slade more targets."

"Whatever we do we need to do it quickly. Each day we all sit here they grow stronger. Let's search the city again. Sooner or later we'll find them."

"Beast Boy has a point. Besides we're not helping ourselves right now. I think we all need some sleep"

"That's a good idea. We should all get a good sleep. And I need to recharge my battery."

*** *** ***

Raven watched as they all headed off to their private rooms except for Robin. She toggled the camera and zoomed in on the computer screens. On each one was an image of her and Slade. They must have gotten the identity tip when they analyzed Slade with half his face exposed. The shot of her was when she had been on the roof and her hood had slipped.

She continued to watch the leader of the Titans analyze their images and scan databases hoping to find them. Without warning a sharp pain shot through her head and she grew dizzy. She got up from the chair and staggered several steps before she started to collapse.

She had been so engrossed in here work she hadn't known Slade had arisen. Yet suddenly he caught her as she began to fall. Taking one look at her eyes as they turned, not their demonic red, but instead a bloodshot red he knew what she had done.

He laid her back as her body jerked several times before she was finally able to regain control of her motor functions and sit up.

"You injected yourself and enhanced your abilities didn't you?" His voice was flat and devoid of emotion as he asked the question he knew the answer to. "Why?"

"I had to do it. The battle on the roof cost you, and I didn't want it to happen again."

"Did you even stop to consider the possible consequences before you undertook such a foolish idea?"

She choked out a laugh. "No, not really. I was too concerned about you."

"That was stupid. You're lucky you still have your sanity. Now you have to learn how to fight. I trust your powers are still intact?"

"Yeah. All that happened was they're stronger and more sensitive."

"Now you'll have to struggle even harder to control your emotions. What you did was stupid, but it seems to have paid off. And good job with the cameras. The Titans haven't noticed a thing." Slade turned his back and walked away. "Meet me in the work out arena in one hour."

He was gone before Raven could acknowledge his words. Phasing out she reappeared in her room and meditated for almost the full hour. She knew what he wanted. It was time for her to learn to fight without relying on her powers and she needed to be in full control.

With only ten minutes left she put on her combat suit and phased into the arena. Slade was already waiting for her, wearing a new mask that was identical to his old. This one however was still intact. Standing by a weapons rack he removed a metal staff, and tossed her another. She thought it looked a lot like the one the Titan leader used.

"Our time will soon arrive and you must be ready. I suppose in the long run your actions may prove to be a blessing but for the next week or so, they'll be a curse. Prepare yourself.

**A/N: Alright so that's it until I get my computer checked out and back 100% which should only be one week. I asked somebody for help on the next chapter. Someone said they liked SladeXRaven, but I've never tried doing a scene with cats mixing with dogs so I asked somebody for help. I'm doing the first bit of the chapter, the training scene but my friends going to take care of the second part. Actually the separation parts might be obvious so I'm going to try and make it run together but if the next chapter is a disappointment I'm only half to blame.**

_**Laissez Les Jeux Commencer! **_


	15. Chapter 15

15

Slade shot directly at her without warning and she realized this would be different form their other sessions. This would be full contact with little holding back. She supposed she deserved it thanks to her new injection and she actually didn't mind. She looked forward to finding out how much her new and improved body could take.

She thought he was going to swing the pole at her head but when she lifted her own to block he moved it down and contacted her leg. To her surprise it didn't collapse but instead snapped taught and she stayed standing if somewhat unstable. He tried to elbow her in the ribs but she stepped back and avoided the collision.

Trying to punch him he stepped aside and caught her arm twisting it behind her back. "Not good enough." For a brief moment she was paralyzed by pain before she could react. As she tried to reverse it he flipped his arms to the left and she landed on her back. Reaching out she blasted him onto his back and leapt at him with her own staff seeking to bring it down on top of him.

Unfortunately he trapped it with his own and kicked both of his legs at her knees. The force behind his kick knocked her down and now it was him on his feet. "Interesting. Good job mixing your powers with hand to hand combat but still too sloppy."

Raven arched her back and leapt to her feet and tried to back hand him. "Too familiar, try something new." He caught her hand before it his him and knocked her feet out from under her. Even as she landed she rolled backwards and got to her feet, in time to see him drop his pole.

Before it hit the ground he kicked it at her and she had to duck as it soared over her head. Raven was actually amazed. She could actually anticipate his moves even if she couldn't avoid all of them. She finally understood why he was such a good fighter.

As she straightened she made like she was going to hit him but when he reached for her hand she instead kicked out and hit him in the chest, making him stagger back a step. "Impressive." Despite her success he didn't seem fazed and pressed his attack. Trying to hit her she remembered his earlier move and twisted his arm behind his back.

Without hesitating he spun her around and tried to flip her but she remembered the move from before and managed to stay standing. Stepping back she bought herself a second to think through her situation. Obviously he was better. With the injection and the powers already at her command she was stronger but he had much more experience.

Thinking back she remembered Cyborg had gotten him on the defensive by hitting his back and not letting up. She decided to try that. Ducking his next attack she got behind him and kicked him in the small of his back. Like before he arched it and was knocked off balance.

He whirled around as she tried to kick his throat, but he grabbed her foot and again flipped her to her back. Rolling to the side she avoided his foot as he brought it crashing down. He was relentless in his pursuit finally getting her close to a wall.

As Raven noticed her situation she tried to force him on the defensive by punching at his face but he slapped it aside and spun her sideways pinning her to the wall with her back to him. She tried to break free but his grip was too tight and she couldn't break it.

Finally she stopped pressing back and surrendered her weight letting herself slump forward. Surprised his grip slipped and she slid to the floor and rolled behind him. Before he could react she kicked the back of his legs and he fell to the ground in a heap.

**Coauthor Note!!! **Okay I've been asked to finish this chapter so now, it's my turn.

Before she Raven could congratulate herself he was back on his feet when she was just getting to her knees. Finally he pulled her to her feet and spun her to the ground this time holding her down. Trapped she realized there was no way out of this one and stopped struggling.

Slade paused as he found himself on top of her and his mouth went dry. From this position he saw a weakness in her that he had never noticed before. His felt sweat gather on his brow and his throat tighten as the feel of her beneath him made his stomach twist and his brain race.

This was something entirely new to him. His heart began to race as he felt something he'd never felt before. This wasn't supposed to happen to him; he was supposed to be cold and uncaring. Toward the rest of the world he was, but there was something about Raven that set him on edge and made him nervous.

It wasn't normal for him. She was his apprentice nothing more. True he had taken her in and she had served him well, but there was something else that he couldn't even fathom. And truthfully it scared him half to death that a girl only a few years beneath him could affect him in such a way.

Raven swallowed at the look in Slade's eyes and she could almost read his mind. She saw the confusion mixed with something else she couldn't identify. If she didn't know better she almost thought it was compassion. What surprised her more was the fact that she reciprocated the feeling.

She suddenly felt faint at the sight of him. Slade had always seemed invincible and untouchable by the things of the world. She thought back to what had happened two nights ago and realized something that had evaded her before. Slade did have a weakness. Though it may be his only one it was a big one and it shocked her to her core.

She was his weakness. Maybe not when she was little but that made twice in the past few months that he had gone out of his way to rescue her. She hadn't really thought about it until now. He could have found another apprentice easily, but he had instead risked himself to save her.

She thought about what she had almost said when she brought him back and realized it was true. She was quite fond of him. Raven tried to tell herself it was simply because he had raised and protected her when no one else would have, but she knew the truth. It was something more. She was captivated by the power and mysteriousness of him and the fact that she was the only one who knew his weakness surprised her. She had also never realized how much he meant to her until then.

The feel of him and the tension in the air made her dizzy that had nothing to do with the injection she had given herself. She couldn't breathe as he tilted his head and his eyes flashed. Raven was frozen in place not knowing what to do, until something in his eyes changed yet again.

Suddenly he pushed himself back and got to his feet. Extending his hand to her he helped her up and left the room quickly without saying a word. Raven stared after him with an aching she couldn't identify.

Back in his room Slade stood with his head against the door thinking over what had almost happened. There was no denying what he felt and unfortunately he knew she noticed it. Frustrated he slammed his head against the door, and let the pain was through him temporarily clearing his head.

Removing his mask he tossed it on the floor and dug his palm into his eye trying to cause some sort of pain that he could focus on instead of the one in his chest. Having little success he decided instead to pass out and sleep through it avoiding the emotions.

Lying back on his bed he tried to escape his thoughts but failed miserably, his dreams filled with her presence and feelings he couldn't escape.

**Coauthor Note!!! **Okaythat was my take. Say what you want and I'll get the comments somehow. The regular author should be back in a few days. P.S. I don't do fiction I'm the journalism major.


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